I have been a faithful Bernina girl for decades-still use my 930Record. But I wanted a larger harp/throat, and the Bernina’s were out of my budget and had way more features than I want/ need. I purchased a Janome 8200 about 5 years ago, and it is exactly what I needed. I FMQ and use a walking foot (accufeed) for straight line quilting. That extra throat space has made a huge difference for me. You really should be able to purchase the 8200 or 8900 for less than what you stated in your post. Good luck!